The Future as a Muslim

Andrew Sullivan points us to a commentary on the Riyadh bombing of a Muslim residential area by the Telegraph. Overall, the article points to possible effects of the bombing in so far as mainstream Muslims view Al-Qaeda as well as some background. What caught my eye is the assessment of the motivations for the attack. The authors, Robin Gedye and Adel Darwish write:

"In attacking the Muhaya compound, al-Qa'eda was sending the message that Muslims of 'lesser faith' will be punished and guest workers from other Muslim nations would be advised to avoid Saudi Arabia."

If such motivation is true, then the world cannot afford to allow Muslim extremism to win--for it can only lead to the inevitable suppression of personal freedoms brought about in recent history. That is, a step forward for Al-Qaeda means a step back for history's progress.